No one is better qualified than Byrne to imagine and expand upon Austens true romance. Her treasure chest of Austen knowledge and her ability to spiritually inhabit historical figures are displayed to fine advantage WASHINGTON POSTSummer 1801. Sidmouth, England.The Austen Family descends upon a fashionable Georgian seaside resort in Devonshire for a six-week holiday.

Janes brother, Frank, is on leave from the Royal Navy, and dearly wishes to unite his sister with his friend Captain Peter Parker. But another holidaymaker, a handsome stranger, catches sight of Jane and is determined to make her acquaintance. This rival to Captain Parker is Samuel Rose: a lawyer, literary man and abolitionist.

As the weeks pass, Janes relationship with both men brings about unexpected surprises. By the end of the summer, the course of her life will have changed forever.Set against the backdrop of Austens family, the tensions of the war against France, and naval and colonial politics, SIX WEEKS BY THE SEA is the fascinating story of how the most famous romance writer of all time fell in love for the first time.